Traffic Schools serve a diverse population, from new teen drivers hoping to sharpen their skills to mature drivers earning an insurance discount by attending school. However, the most common reason people attend traffic school is that they have been ordered to do so by a court. When drivers receive a bad ticket for unsafely operating a car, they may be offered the option of attending traffic school to learn safety techniques, if they have not already done some within a particular period of time prior to the violation (time periods vary by state). Below are several important terms to know when understanding how traffic school works.

Points - Points are demerit marks assigned to drivers who are guilty of moving violations. They are assigned according to the date of violation, rather than the date of conviction. While systems vary by state, typically earning twelve or more points per year will result in suspension of a driver’s license for at least two months.

Zero points - Zero points indicates a clean driving record with no violations.

Point Reduction - Successful completion of traffic school can significantly reduce or clean the violator’s driving record, which eventually translates to lower insurance premiums.

Traffic Safety Classes - Online or classroom courses that cover safe driver education and practice. Teachers instruct drivers on basics such as signs, laws such as speed limits and rules of the road.

Group Dynamics Courses - GD courses are specifically designed to instruct drivers who were found guilty of operating cars while intoxicated (OWI).

Multiple Offender Program - MOP courses are designed for multiple offense OWI drivers.

People must learn how to drive safely on the roadways without endangering themselves or others. Traffic schools provide instructions for potential drivers on how to operate a motor vehicle, whether car, truck, or motorcycle. In many states, the legal driving age is 16 years old. Teens can take traffic school instruction courses to learn the ropes, which consist of both a written test and driving test at the Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV). Other drivers must take safety courses due to a high rate of accidents, or too many violations such as DUI, speeding tickets, or traffic fines.
Traffic schools provide a valuable learning service, one that is based both in practical application and theory. Many insurance companies will give people breaks on their yearly fees if they attend traffic schools. Some communities allow teens to start driving six months or so earlier when they attend a traffic school than if they don't.
What do traffic schools cover in driver education class? Qualified teachers may cover defensive driving themes, shifting, parking, three-point turns, and merging. They may also teach how to obey speed signs for safety, along with where all the components in a car are located, such as the brakes, gas tanks, four wheel drive controls, and shift stick. Teens usually obtain their learning permits first, which allows them to practice driving a vehicle with an adult in the car. They can receive their official driver's license only after they have completed and passed the written and driving tests, part of which can be taken online.
The early 1900s brought the first driving instruction requirements. This varied by state, but soon all caught on and by the time automobiles really became popular in the 1920s, more and more states were requiring driver education before license issuance.